CITRUS SPRINGS, Fla. — Operation Safe Kids in Citrus County is part of a statewide campaign by the Florida Sheriffs Association, and the goal is to enhance safety around schools.

What You Need To Know

  • Operation Safe Kids is a week long initiative targeting school zones

  • It's part of a statewide campaign by the Florida Sheriffs Association

  • Deputy Russ Howard is a father himself and says while he understands how busy drop off and pick up can be for parents, it can also be dangerous

For one week, Citrus County Sheriff’s deputies are targeting school zones to remind drivers of the rules of the road in those areas, and provide education on how to make it safer.

“This time of the year, all the schools are just starting, and we want to remind all the drivers, and the parents and employees, and everyone else to obey the speed limit because the children are the ones in danger,” said Deputy Russ Howard. 

Howard is a father himself and says while he understands how busy drop off and pick up can be for parents, it can also be dangerous.

“It’s just sometimes they get caught up with cell phones, and technology, and make-up and food, and children and there’s so many other things," he said.

The Operation Safe Kids operation is targeting school zones in Citrus County. (Spectrum News/Fallon Silcox)

"But the problem is, once you distract yourself from driving, driving anywhere between a 2,500 to 3,500 bullet, missile, and if it goes off trajectory, even just a little bit, it can cause catastrophic effects,” he said.

On the morning that Spectrum News visited with Howard, he patrolled the school zone at Citrus Springs Elementary.

“This is kind of standard because they’ve got so many people dropping off their kids, instead of taking the bus, so they have a lot of people going through here,” he said while driving past a long line of cars waiting to drop off their children at school.

And with so much congestion, it’s even more important for drivers to obey the school zone, but it’s not long before Howard spots a speeder.

“I’m going to pull this lady over here because she’s doing 50 in a 35 before the school zone so we’re gonna have a chat," he said.

Deputy Russ Howard speaks with a driver about the speed limit in a school zone. (Spectrum News/Fallon Silcox)

It was only a matter of minutes when another car came speeding through the school zone.

This time it was a mother, running late dropping her kids off at school. Howard gave her a break, only citing her with the lowest fine possible, which he says is what Operation Safe Kids is about.

“What we’re doing is asking people to use common sense when they drive. Don’t be distracted from driving, pay attention to the road because the life you save could be your own.”